State drops charges against Florida LB Morrison

Player arrested after barking at police dog

University of Florida linebacker Antonio Morrison has two fewer legal concerns after the state dropped charges against him Tuesday.

Morrison was arrested early Sunday and charged with resisting arrest and harassing a police dog. However, Florida State Attorney William P. Cervone announced in a statement that the charges were revoked.

Morrison was accused of barking at a police dog that was inside a vehicle.

"This dismissal is based on the lack of evidence to warrant much less legally sustain those charges and the complete inappropriateness of pursuing court action against Morrison, or anyone else, under the circumstances involved," Cervone said. "The charge of interfering with a police animal requires malice, and none exists. lt also requires that the animal be engaged in some official duty, and it cannot be said that sitting in the back of a police cruiser in case he is needed constitutes being engaged in such activity by a police dog.

"As to the charge of resisting an officer, I challenge anyone who looks at the video of the incident to find any resistance, physical or otherwise, beyond questioning the actions of law enforcement, which is not illegal."

Morrison was also arrested in mid-June on a battery charge when he allegedly punched a nightclub bouncer. He accepted a deferral agreement that includes community service and a fine. That agreement remains valid, Cervone said.

Morrison was suspended from the Florida football team for at least two games after Sunday's arrest, and coach Will Muschamp said in a statement Tuesday that the suspension was still in place.

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